Whittemore School Advisors Earn 2007 UNH Professional Advising Award

Tamara Rury, M.Ed., Academic Counselor, Pam Bishop, M.S., Academic Counselor, and Gail Stepina, M.Ed., Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs and Advising, have been awarded the UNH Professional Advising Award for 2007. The Award recognizes a professional advising staff member for excellence across the spectrum of academic advising. Winners are chosen based on their demonstration of genuine concern and respect for students; professional and ethical standards; mastery of advising principles; engagement in activities that enhance and support academic advising at UNH; and overall enthusiasm.

This year Rury, Bishop and Stepina were selected together as recipients, a first time trifectaoccurrence in the history of the award. The three academic advisors work in the Whittemore School Undergraduate Programs Office and provide advising to all students in WSBE and also to students interested in WSBE minors or in transferring into a major in WSBE.

Besides advising over 2,000 students each semester, Rury, Bishop and Stepina are involved in additional activities that support the Whittemore School. Rury coordinates all of the teaching assistants for six different introductory classes so that students are provided extra help if needed. She is also the office’s representative on the Advising Network, a group of UNH advisors who meet monthly to share information about activities in their colleges. Bishop teaches a study skills course for WSBE students in need of assistance in re-tooling their study habits. She also represents the office at Orientation and Allotment Committee meetings, where various campus offices prepare and plan for new student orientations. Stepina, who oversees the advising program for WSBE, also directs the WSBE Honors Program and Intercollege Transfer process, and represents WSBE on a number of UNH
committees.

“Academic advising is teaching,” says Stepina, who was recently appointed to a national position in the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), an association of 9,000+ advising administrators, faculty and professional staff. NACADA is the leader within the education community for the theory, delivery, application and advancement of academic advising to enhance student learning and development. “Academic advising plays an important role in the education of our students," said Stepina. “Through academic advising, students learn to become members of the higher education community, to think critically about their roles and responsibilities as students, and to prepare to be contributing citizens and lifelong learners.” “We help our students to become Lead Managers of their college career,” said Bishop, who was recently accepted to the M.Ed. program in Reading at UNH. Rury, the newest member of the WSBE Advising team, previously worked at West Point Military Academy in their Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP). "I utilize the organizational skills and positive thinking taught at the CEP in order to help WSBE students advance their study skills and success," says Rury. All three advisors are members of NACADA. Last October, Stepina and Bishop, along with past Interim Dean James Wible, presented a workshop at the national conference of NACADA.

Advising Award nominations for Rury, Bishop and Stepina were submitted by students, faculty and staff. “It is truly an honor to have people appreciate our work by nominating each of us,” saidStepina. “Our goal is to help students to be successful in their academics, their lives and future careers.” See the UNH Staff Excellence publication for additional information.